sensory overload while waiting for a bus

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madbutnotmad
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28 Feb 2021, 5:33 pm

Just had a bit of a sensory overload while waiting at the side of the road for a bus.

It was approx 9 p.m. UK, and i was waiting at the side of the road waiting for a bus, and this taxi (cab) driver
drove towards me in a new electric car with his new flashy headlights on full beam.

It was in the middle of the town that my parents live in which is very well lit.

The headlights automatically caused me to have a sensory overload, as I was unable to take my eyes off
the road as if i did so I may miss the bus. As the bus driver often wiz'es past and you have to make a concerted
effort in order to get the bus driver to stop.

So anyway, this taxi driver was driving up towards me with his headlamps on full beam, which blinded me.
He then stopped approximate 10 metres from the bus stop I was standing at to drop off the folks he was carrying,
and he continued to keep his headlamps on full beam.

As I had to keep my eyes on the road, in order to prevent the bus from driving past.
I was forced to look at his headlights, which automatically caused me to experience sensory overload!

So I started shouting at him and walked from the bus stop, crossed the road and walked next to the car drivers window
and shouted at him to put his headlights on low, as he was blinding me, I also explained that i had to look at the road as if i did not I may miss the bus. So he gave me no choice but confront him.

Anyway. Just another day having ASD in this world of people who either don't know or don't care.

Luckily i didn't swear at him, and I did not get violent. Although the experience of being blinded by halogen lamps was extremely unpleasant and instantly caused me to become extremely aggressive! fight and flight i guess.

I guess there isn't really much way around experiencing this type of experience.
So what else can one do.

Luckily the driver was pleasant and not confrontational, and did not engage in retaliation.
I imagine that if the bus driver wasn't, this scenario could turn out differently.



Joe90
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28 Feb 2021, 7:00 pm

The taxi-driver didn't need to leave his headlights on full beam, because it could dazzle other car-drivers coming the opposite way.


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Fireblossom
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01 Mar 2021, 3:39 am

Oh boy, I can totally relate. I'm always somewhat anxious to begin with if waiting for a bus unless I happen to be at one of those stops where the bus stops automatically since I want to be sure to be able to stop the bus and that I stop the right bus, so any extra problems can be really frustrating.

Joe90 wrote:
The taxi-driver didn't need to leave his headlights on full beam, because it could dazzle other car-drivers coming the opposite way.


My thoughts exactly. In fact, here leaving them on like that would be against the rules...



Iphone31966
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01 Mar 2021, 6:14 pm

Could it be possible to walk in the direction of the taxi. Get to an exact spot where you can watch the Bus stop location straight ahead from you and have the taxi behind you.



Iphone31966
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01 Mar 2021, 6:17 pm

You may not be facing the direction to see the bus arriving. But if you watch the exact spot there the bus is supposed to stop, watch the other people waiting for the same bus, you should be fine.



Mona Pereth
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01 Mar 2021, 7:06 pm

Iphone31966 wrote:
You may not be facing the direction to see the bus arriving. But if you watch the exact spot there the bus is supposed to stop, watch the other people waiting for the same bus, you should be fine.

That would be fine there are other people waiting for the same bus. I got the feeling from the original post that he was the only person waiting at the bus stop.


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Benjamin the Donkey
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02 Mar 2021, 3:15 am

I can relate to this.


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